Physio in Morocco: when a prescription is needed

Law 45-13 sets three settings for a physio’s work

Law No. 45-13 governs the rehabilitation professions in Morocco, physiotherapy included. It was enacted by the dahir of 9 August 2019. Its article 4 deals with the prescription.

Article 4 names three settings. Professionals work on a medical prescription. They may also work under the supervision and responsibility of a doctor. Or they act within their own role, for the acts that are their own.

The law itself does not list these acts. It refers them to a nomenclature set by regulation. Decree No. 2.20.874 of 4 February 2021 leaves it to an order of the Minister of Health.

Some acts require a doctor’s prescription

The same nomenclature sets the acts a physio may only perform on a doctor’s prescription. A physio who breaches article 4 practises illegally, under article 40.

Article 41 sets the penalty at 3 months to 2 years in prison. It adds a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 MAD.

Its application is still partial. In May 2025, a physio union quoted by Le Matin said some implementing texts were still pending. So the simplest step is to ask the physio before the session.

A doctor writes the prescription and sets the number of sessions

The law speaks of a medical prescription, written by a doctor. CNOPS refers to the treating doctor.

For a refund, CNOPS asks for a dated and signed prescription. It must give the patient’s name and the type of rehabilitation. It must also state the number of sessions.

A CNOPS refund depends on the prescription

CNOPS, the public-sector health fund, refunds rehabilitation sessions prescribed by the doctor. The rate is 80% of the National Reference Tariff. CNOPS puts that tariff at 50 MAD per session in private practice and 40 MAD in public.

The claim goes to your mutual fund within 60 days of the last session. Without a prescription, the file lacks a document CNOPS requires. If you are covered by CNSS or a private insurer, ask them for their own rules.

What you pay at the practice is a separate question. It is covered in the price of a physio session in Morocco.

• The care form, with the physio’s INPE code
• The doctor’s prescription, dated and signed
• The original medical report, in your name
• The schedule of sessions, signed and stamped by the physio
• The physio’s invoice

Your first message to a physio is the time for questions

Before booking, you can write to the physio. Describe what hurts and say whether you have a prescription. Ask whether your case needs one.

Ask about the price and the place too. The law lets a physio treat patients at home (article 32). It also requires the fees to be displayed clearly in the waiting room (article 33).

On the day, bring the prescription if you have one. For a refund, ask the physio for the signed schedule of sessions and an invoice.

On Kinero, messaging a physio is free

On Kinero, the team checks each physio’s diploma before their page goes live. Writing to a physio is free and commits you to nothing. Each physio can publish their prices and hours on their page.

To see what the law requires of a physio, read how to check a physio’s diploma. The directory opens city by city: Find a physio.

Common questions

Read next

• Checking a physiotherapist’s diploma in Morocco: what Law 45-13 requires
• Physiotherapy prices in Morocco: what sets the cost, what is reimbursed
• Lower back pain and sciatica: what a physio does

Sources

1. Law No. 45-13 on the rehabilitation professions, French version (Adala, Ministry of Justice)
2. Decree No. 2.20.874 of 4 February 2021 applying Law 45-13 (Adala, in Arabic)
3. CNOPS, services: rehabilitation, refunds and claim documents (in French)
4. Le Matin, physiotherapists warn about fake practitioners, 27 May 2025 (in French)